On Thursday, more than 18 months after the 49ers’ inside linebacker was selected in the third round, he was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month. The honor came after Warner had 53 tackles, four pass-breakups, three sacks and two forced fumbles in five games. His teammate, rookie edge rusher Nick Bosa, won the award for October.

The 49ers probably didn’t expect Warner to perform at quite this level. And, if Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is accurate, the majority of NFL teams are shocked by how Warner’s career has started.

He “was drafted in the third round (and) most people didn’t have (him) as a draft-pick guy,” Harbaugh said last week before the Ravens’ 20-17 win over the 49ers on Sunday. “And look at him, he’s playing great.”

Warner expressed some good-natured annoyance at Harbaugh’s assessment. Warner said he didn’t hear any buzz that he wouldn’t be selected before the 2018 draft.

“I saw the comment and I’m saving that for later,” Warner said, laughing. “I’ll take it as a compliment for now.”

In November, Warner was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle performance in a 37-8 win over the Packers that included a sack and forced fumble.

Warner has made 28 straight starts to open his career and has never appeared on the 49ers’ injury report.

Ford feeling good: Defensive end Dee Ford has returned to practice this week on a limited basis after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury. Ford has not been observed running at full speed during the early portions of practice open to the media.

“The hardest thing about coming back with a hamstring is you’ve got to trust it,” Ford said. “It’s still in the healing process. It’s kind of early. I’m a fast healer, so I have to be careful. It’s just certain movements you have to be confident with it. And I feel really good in practice. I feel really good going into the game.”

Ford wasn’t definitive when asked if he would play Sunday against the Saints.

“We’ll play it by ear,” Ford said. “I feel good. That was the first step. So we’ll take care of the game on game day.”

Ford indicated his time off hasn’t provided any relief for the knee tendinitis that has plagued him since training camp.

“It’s as a good as it’s going to get,” Ford said.

Armstead off: Defensive lineman Arik Armstead, whose team-high 10 sacks ranked sixth in the NFL entering Thursday, was given the day off from practice after he played 61 of 65 snaps in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens. Armstead played the most among the team’s defensive linemen.

“He had a big workload in that Baltimore game, with the things we were asking him to do,” defensive coordinator Robert Saleh said.

Banaszek was selected with the No. 11 overall pick in 1967 and spent his 11-year career with the 49ers, making 112 starts and earning second-team All-Pro honors in 1968. He is one of 51 players who played at least 10 seasons with the team.

Banaszek spent one season as an assistant offensive line coach with the 49ers in 1981, a season that ended with the 49ers’ first Super Bowl win.

Eric Branch has worked at the San Francisco Chronicle since 2011 as the 49ers beat writer. Before that, he covered the 49ers for the Santa Rosa Press Democrat in 2010. Since he began his career in journalism in 1997 in Logansport, Ind., he’s covered events ranging from archery tournaments to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.